Evolution of Tango

As mentioned before, “La Morocha” was one of the first tango songs to be recorded and the first one to be exported to Europe. The lyrics are rogue and the music is playful and lively. In 1910, tango was danced in Paris, rapidly expanding its popularity around the world. Its glamor conquered the highest sectors of society and was danced in almost all European capitals. Those responsible for presenting tango abroad, in the music halls of the old continent were the young sons of the traditional, wealthy families, who had long frequented places in Buenos Aires where tango was danced, even under the scorn of Buenos Aires’s high society, which still looked down on tango’s scandalous history and roots.

During the 30’s and after tango’s global growth, a period of refinement began, both poetic and musical, where importance was given to the musical arrangements, with a much firmer beat and greater musical quality. Soloists emerged, with solid musical background, like singer Carlos Gardel, one of the greatest tango representatives in the whole world, even to the date.

The 30s decade for tango was a revivalist period; tango went from trios or quartets to well-articulated, and numerous orchestras which generally had an orchestra conductor who took decisions. During this decade, being a tango musician finally began to be a paid job. The lyrics were also transformed, slightly ceasing to be vulgar and with less mentions or references to social issues.

There appeared new themes and topics, generally related to certain sentimental nuance; for example, it was commonplace to find lyrics related to men (generally or historically having been represented as strong and insensitive) weeping over lost love. New characters appeared in tango lyrics during this decade, such as the folks (“la vieja, el viejo”), the girlfriend, the madam who worked at the brothel, prostitutes etc.